Mew (DEN)

Mew plays the most wondrous and mysterious art pop in the world. They've always been an enigmatic orchestra with music both limpid and dark as well as poetic and dreamlike, full of whispering voices and strange creatures. They always begin with small pop gems that tend to grow into album-long, intricate tapestries of sound. You may call them indie, progressive pop or art rock, but somehow the labels seem to fall short; the enchantment of Mew is so very multifaceted, and the band never resorts to easy answers. Perhaps that's why their music gives us so much solace: it shows us truths we may not understand but which we recognize deep in our heart of hearts.